Snow maker

ABSTRACT

A snow maker uses a blower forcing an air stream outward at at least 7000 feet per minute, and an injector receives pressurized water and directs it as a fine spray into the air stream so that the water is broken into fine drops that are carried along by the air stream and freeze into snow before landing.

United States Patent 11 1 Rice [ SNOW MAKER [76] Inventor: Bruce A. Rice, 6 Dorset Dr.,

Canandaigua, NY. 14424 22 Filed: Jan. 22, 1973 21 App1.No.:325,575

[52] U.S. Cl. 239/14, 239/2 S, 239/554, 239/DIG. 13 [51] Int. Cl A019 15/00 [58] Field of Search 239/2 S, 14, DIG. 13, 554, 239/555 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,890,156 12/1932 Konig 239/554 2,647,800 8/1953 Burnam et a1... 239/DIG. 13 2,813,753 11/1957 Roberts 239/DIG. 13

3,107,060 10/1963 Coursey, Jr 239/DIG. 13 3,408,005 10/1968 Struble et al. 239/2 S 3,703,991 11/1972 Eustis et al. 2.39/2 S FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,372,024

Primary Examiner-Ll0yd L. King Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cumpston, Shaw & Stephens 5 7 ABSTRACT A snow maker uses a blower forcing an air stream outward at at least 7000 feet per minute, and an injector receives pressurized water and directs it as a fine spray into the air stream so that the water is broken into fine drops that are carried along by the air stream and freeze into snow before landing.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 8/1964 France ,.239/2s SNOW MAKER THE INVENTIVE IMPROVEMENT Previous snow making machines have used water and compressed air mixed together and directed forcefully outward so that the expanding air helps chill and freeze the water drops. Equipment for providing the compressed air is relatively expensive and heavy so that snow making equipment has required a large investment.

The invention involves recognition of a way to make snow without using compressed air, and this allows substantial savings in expense and weight so that snow can be made much more economically. The invention aims at efficient snow making with relatively inexpensive and lightweight equipment that is convenient, effective, reliable and easy to operate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The inventive snow maker has a blower forming an air stream traveling outward at at least 7000 feet per minute and a water injector receiving water under pressure. The injector has openings for directing water into the air stream, and the openings are small enough so the water breaks into fine drops carried along by the air stream and frozen into snow before landing. The openings in the injector are preferably approximately .010 to .030 inches across, and the injector is preferably on the axis of the air stream to direct the water radially outward into the air stream.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partially schematic, elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the inventive snow maker; and

FIG. 2 is a partially crosssectioned, enlarged elevational view of the injector for the snow maker of FIG. ll.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Snow maker of FIG. 1 has a blower lll powered by an engine or motor 12 arranged on a pivotal base 113 mounted on a stand 14. Engine 12 is preferably an internal combustion engine, but can also be an electric motor, and blower 11 is preferably a large, centrifugal blower as schematically illustrated. Blower 1.1 drives an air stream out of output opening at at least 7000 feet per minute, and preferably has sufficient power to drive the air stream at 12,000 or more feet per minute. Blower 11 is preferably mounted to be pivotal in a vertical plane as indicated by the arrows, and base 13 piv ots horizontally on stand 14. The combination of these movements allows blower Ill to be aimed throughout a wide territory around stand 14 for spreading snow as desired.

Water under pressure is directed to blower 11 through line 16 as schematically illustrated, and the flow rate in line 16 is preferably adjustable for optimum snow making. Line 16 leads to an injector 20 recessed into output housing 15 on the axis of the air stream. Injector 20 directs water radially outward in fine streams so that the water breaks into fine drops carried along by the air stream. The air stream moving at 7000 feet per minute or more is forceful enough to carry the droplets along for a substantial distance so that the droplets are chilled and freeze into snow before landing. Injector 20 could also be a ring or a plurality of nozzles around output housing 15, and injector 20 is preferably recessed into housing 15 for mechanical protection.

FIG. 2 shows a preferred form of injector 20 ar ranged on pipe 21. Pipe 21 has open slots 22 to admit water radially outward from the end of pipe 21, and a ring 23 secured to pipe 21 has recesses 24 registered with slots 22. The forward face 25 of ring 23 is angled at about 45 to the axis of pipe 21 and recesses 24 are formed as slots cut at smaller angles to the axis of pipe 21 and registered with slots 22.

Another ring 26 forward of ring 23 has a seat 27 mating with surface 25 around the radially inner edges of recesses 24. A notch 28 radially outward of seat 27 receives water passing through recesses 24, and the rear surface 29 of ring 26 leading outward from notch 28 is slightly inclined relative to surface 26 to form a narrowing gap between ring 23 and ring 26. At the outer extremity of injector 20, this gap is .010 to .030 inches across and preferably about .020 inches across.

Pressurized water admitted through line 16 forces out through slots 22 in pipe 21 and through recesses 24 to fill annular notch 28. From notch 28 outward, the water passes througha gradually diminishing gap to spray outward from injector 20 in a thin sheet of water having a generally conical form directed outward at about 45 to the axis of pipe 21. Injector 20 could also use a plurality of holes of approximately .010 to .030 inches in diameter, but experience has shown that a greater quantity of water can be output through the arcuate slot between ring 23 and ring 26, and under some conditions, this allows snow to be made at a faster rate.

Ring 29 is like ring 26 in seating around recesses 24 to form a gap 30 for output of another conical spray of water. Ring 31 has a rearward surface shaped like the rearward surfaces of rings 26 and 29 for seating against ring 29 to produce another water gap 30 as illustrated. End cap 32 holds a screw 33 that fastens rings 26, 29 and 31 in place against ring 23 which is preferably welded to pipe 21. Recesses 24 can be formed either on the forward edge of rings 23, 26 and 29 as illustrated, or on the rearward edges of rings 26, 29 and 31.

Optimum snow making with the inventive snow maker depends in part on the temperature and relative humidity. The gallons per minute of water that can be converted to snow vary inversely with both temperature and humidity, and a faster moving air stream generally enhances snow making ability at any temperature or relative humidity. In practice, machine 10 is generally put into operation so that the quality of snow it pro duces can be checked, and then a valve or other control in line 16 is adjusted for the correct water flow rate for optimum snow making under the circumstances. Those experienced with snow makers can quickly adjust machine 10 for optimum performance.

Compared to other snow making equipment using compressed air, either from a central fixed location or from a compressor operated at the site of the snow maker, machine 10 is far smaller, lighter and less ex pensive. Compressed air snow making equipment can operate at higher temperatures, but machine 10 by its simplicity and economy serves a wide range of snow making needs.

Persons wishing to practice the invention should remember that other embodiments and variations can be adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one 0. means for supplying water under pressure to said point of view is necessarily chosen in describing and deinjector; fining the invention, this should not inhibit broader or d. said injector having openings formed as arcuate related embodiments going beyond the semantic orienslos around said injector for directing said water tation of this application but falling within the spirit of 5 into said air stream; and the invention. For example, blower 11 can have many e. said openings being from .010 to .030 inches sizes and shapes and can be powered by many different across and angled at approximately 45 to said axis engines and motors. Also, a water injector can be arof said injector so said water is directed outward in ranged in many different ways to inject fine streams of a plurality of thin, conical sheets that break into water into the air output of the blower. fine drops carried along by said air stream so said I claim: drops freeze into snow before landing. 1. A snow maker comprising: 2. The snow maker of claim 1 wherein said injector a. a blower drawing in ambient air and accelerating is recessed into an output housing of said blower.

said ambient air into an output air stream traveling 3. The snow maker of claim 2 wherein said water dioutward at at least 7000 feet per minute; 5 rected out of said injector is angled to clear said housb. a water injector having an axis approximately coning.

centric with said air stream; 

1. A snow maker comprising: a. a blower drawing in ambient air and acceleratiNg said ambient air into an output air stream traveling outward at at least 7000 feet per minute; b. a water injector having an axis approximately concentric with said air stream; c. means for supplying water under pressure to said injector; d. said injector having openings formed as arcuate slos around said injector for directing said water into said air stream; and e. said openings being from .010 to .030 inches across and angled at approximately 45* to said axis of said injector so said water is directed outward in a plurality of thin, conical sheets that break into fine drops carried along by said air stream so said drops freeze into snow before landing.
 2. The snow maker of claim 1 wherein said injector is recessed into an output housing of said blower.
 3. The snow maker of claim 2 wherein said water directed out of said injector is angled to clear said housing. 